


More Bite than Previously Anticipated

by ForensicSpider98



Series: Love After the Fact [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, All this stress is bad for the baby, Altean Adam (Voltron), Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Balmeran Hunk (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Galra Shiro (Voltron), Galran Prince Keith (Voltron), Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Moral Dilemmas, Multi, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Olkari Pidge | Katie Holt, Post-War, it's keith. keith is the baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:00:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22868281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForensicSpider98/pseuds/ForensicSpider98
Summary: Keith wants his blade back. He is not taking no for an answer
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Alfor/Coran (Voltron), Allura/Lotor/Romelle (Voltron), Haggar/Zarkon (Voltron), Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Love After the Fact [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635043
Comments: 16
Kudos: 297





	More Bite than Previously Anticipated

Keith’s asleep. Looking at him, he really does look small. Tiny, even. He’s not just short for a Galra, he’s slender, too. Not bulky like the rest of his kind.

It’s kind of adorable. 

He just looks so little and soft, dark hair all over the place, all curled up beneath the blankets. A bumblemoth bobs into the room from their open garden, hovering by the Galra’s fluffy ear, and it twitches and flaps at the irritation.

Lance bites back a smile.

He’s only just returned the bumblemoth to the garden, it’s little claws pinching at the cage of his fingers, when Keith sits up. The Galra looks around himself with alarm, not at all familiar with the room yet. It’s only been a movement.

He looks wild. Frightened.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Lance gently sits down on the edge of the bed by Keith’s feet. “It’s alright. It’s just our room. You’re safe-” Lance cuts himself off. That wasn’t true at all.

Keith relaxes, but the tired look in his eyes says that he doesn’t believe Lance’s words either. Their gazes part. Silence drags.

“Lance?”

“Yes?”

“They took my blade. The seamsmaster took my blade and gave it to a guard.”

“We’ll go and retrieve it today,” Lance says immediately.

“We will?” Keith seems surprised, though Lance can’t fathom why.

“Yes. You are a prince now. You order the guards, not the other way around. It’s time they learned that.” Lance heads to the wardrobe and retrieves a set of clothes for Keith, who doesn’t bother to hide his distaste. “I know you don’t like them. We can speak to the seamsmaster today about something special for you.”

“I don’t _want_ to order anyone around... Or be a bother.” Keith pulls his knees up to his chest. Lance walks over and sits back on the bed, still in his nightclothes. He forgot that Keith’s only been a noble for a phoeb.

“Hey, all I meant was that they’re not allowed to treat you like that. All of this is hard enough for you without the guards making it even harder. And you’re not a bother, Keith. Not in the slightest. Actually, Father says your eerily low-maintenance.” Relief floods Keith’s face. “Why are you worried about being a bother?”

“Oh.” Keith’s ears pin back, slightly at an angle. Not angry. Anxious. “It’s nothing. I just had a few health problems as a small kit... It can be burdensome.”

Lance takes a deep breath. “Alright, so if you’re not well, I expect you to tell me so I can make sure you’re taken care of. You mustn’t just grit your teeth and bear it, understand? Your well-being is not burdensome, Keith.”

“How do you-”

“Please. You’re obviously the type to ignore your well-being.” Lance pushes the clothes toward Keith, grinning. “Now come on, we need to get dressed and eat breakfast before I go yelling at the guards. It’s hard work.”

The moment Keith’s back turns, Lance’s smile slips. He can’t help it. What other secrets is Keith hiding? He's so reserved and mysterious. He's been here for almost a movement now, and Lance still knows practically nothing about him.

Breakfast is its usual, lifeless affair, with Alfor and Coran discussing important, peace-keeping diplomacy that Lance isn't welcome to weigh in on and a silent spouse who eats his food and sits still to wait until Lance is finished. The only interaction he gets is a scolding from his father when he brings out his datapad to thank Hunk for the food and tell him that Keith seems to have liked his.

Lance can't wait to do it all again in a few vargas. He almost wishes he could hold court again this quintant as an excuse to skip lunch.

Almost.

Later, he stands before Commander Iverson, arms folded. “I’d like my blade back, please,” Keith murmurs, hands clasped behind his back, the picture of civility and respect. Just like Adam showed him. The commander frowns.

“A luxite blade is not something that should be in the hands of one such as yourself-”

“How about in the hands of a prince, Commander Iverson?” Lance makes no attempt to hide his irritation. His left ear twitches.

The captain scoffs. “This _kit_ is hardly a-”

“ _Prince Yorak_ is my _spouse_. Do I need to give you a lesson on how royal marriages work, or are you willing to hand it over?”

“I am most certainly _not_ willing.” The commander is seething. His first instinct, Lance knows, is to shield him from his own spouse. It's a difficult situation to navigate. He understands Iverson's position, but the commander's behavior is entirely unacceptable.

Lance’s left ear ticks again. He hates it. “I’ll have you stripped of your post. One word to the king and you’ll spend the rest of your life destitute, I promise you. You and your men are to respect Prince Yorak, and defend him with your life. Such is the pledge you took when my family gave you this station.” 

“He is the _enemy_ ,” the commander hisses.

Keith snaps, lunges forward, grabs the commander by his cuirass, pulls him down to eye level. The guards flanking their leader don’t move. They know better. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I am not your enemy. I am your charge. The Crown’s most precious treasure. I will provide us with the next king, your heir to the throne. Your duty is to ensure that I live long enough to do so. Now hand over my blade and relearn your place, before I teach you myself.”

The commander wordlessly pulls out a small dagger, offering it to the prince handle first. Keith takes it, slips it into one of the folds of his clothes, regains his composure. “Thank you.”

Keith releases Commander Iverson, who stumbles back with a nasty glare. Keith passively holds out his hand. Lance takes it, letting Keith lead him away.

Keith sighs. It’s not even lunch time and already he’s tired. His head is spinning.

Lance’s head is spinning too, staring wide-eyed at his spouse. Where the quiznak had _that_ come from? Keith must be getting more comfortable here if he feels safe enough to pick fights with the Crown Guard. He never thought he’d see the gruff old commander soil himself, but apparently being lifted from the floor by a Galra that's a dash shorter than himself will do the trick.

“Forgive me. I did not mean to lose my patience. His behavior does not seem appropriate.” Formal, in the presence of the servants and guards.

“It is not.” Lance has no defense for the commander. “It will be dealt with. Well done, though. He should respect you from now on.”

Keith smiles, a little proud of himself. Apparently being a prince means occasionally terrorizing people. He can do that much. “Why doesn’t he respect you?”

“Because I have ensured it.”

Keith notices the hard edge to Lance jaw, chooses not to make any more comments. It must be part of his performance. Instead, he elects to distract the Altean with the first thing that comes to mind. It seems like the spousal thing to do. “So... the bugs in the garden. They’re called buzzlemoths?”

Lance chuckles. “ _Bumble_ moths. Why?”

“I like them. They’re nice. They don’t bite. At least, not a lot.”

“Things on Daibazaal bite?”

“Most things on Daibazaal bite. Especially the children.” Keith grins, revealing those sharp teeth. Lance laughs. It occurs to Keith that he prefers Lance this way, without the kohl and the paints and all the gold. He still has a few piercings, and a single cuff with chains, but he appears less like an object and more like a person.

A relatively friendly person at that.

“I’m not surprised. Biting seems to be something all small creatures do. Altean infants go through a strictly carnivorous phase, and lose three sets of teeth.”

“Only three?” 

Lance stops, turns to his spouse in bafflement. “What do you mean _only_?!”

“Try six.”

“SIX?!”

**Author's Note:**

> Nest time on Love After the Fact: Lance and Keith continue to work on their relationship.


End file.
